Cream of the Crop: An NFL MVP Chat
The 2016-17 NFL Regular Season is almost over. Which can only mean one thing: Queue months of desperation, draft-watching, and Madden to fill our football shaped voids. Fortunately we’ve still got the Playoffs to look forward to–and of course, the MVP race. This year has seen some breakout stars competing with perennial all-pros. Needless to say, the competition has been tight and the quality of play has been top notch. As such, we’ve got a sizable crop of fantastic players all deserving of the NFL’s most coveted award. But this isn’t an elementary school marathon in the 90s. No one’s getting a Participation ribbon. This is the NFL. The league where Ricky Bobby’s great maxim, “If you’re not first, you’re last,” will always reign true. So let’s have a look at the cream of the crop. And thankfully, dear reader, it’s looking especially creamy.
Now you’re probably thinking, ‘Just give it to Tom Brady and let’s get it over with.’ Here’s the thing about Tom Brady: he missed the first four games of the season and the Patriots still won three of four. The award is for Most Valuable Player. We’re talking about how much value a player brings to their team. Not simply how good they are.
Which brings us to Derek Carr. Currently, the Raiders are leading the AFC West at 11-3. Carr has thrown for 25 touchdowns on six interceptions, with a QB rating of 95.2. He’s completing 63.5% of his passes for an average of seven yards per toss. Week in and week out, Carr has demonstrated just how valuable he has been to the Raiders’ success. Excluding his failures against Kansas City, he’s been a dominant force throughout the year. Hence why I’m placing him atop this here MVP list. He deserves it.
There are only two other players on this list with a legitimate shot at the award. The first is Matt Ryan. 32 touchdowns. Seven interceptions. 114.8 QB rating. Here’s the real kicker for me though. Ryan has completed 319 of 465 passes (that’s 68.6 percent) for a gaudy 9.33 yards a throw. That might explain why the Falcons are second in the league in first downs, and first in the NFC in point differential. Because of Matt Ryan, Atlanta has a shot at the championship, and by extension the NFL’s most coveted award.
Of course, the road to the Super Bowl seems to be going through Dallas these days. The Cowboys are the only team on this list with two MVP candidates. Rookies Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott have been dominant this season. Granted, they owe their success to their front five, Tyron Smith, Ron Leary, Travis Frederick, Zack Martin, and Doug Free. But not once in the history of the NFL has an offensive lineman, or line, won the MVP. So let’s stick to the aforementioned rookies–specifically Ezekiel Elliott. While Dak Prescott is certainly in the top five, Elliott has been the real breakout star of 2016. And he’s the only other player with a chance at stealing the trophy.
With 1,551 yards on 310 carries, Elliott is averaging five yards a carry, and 110 a game. It’s one thing to have a solid offensive line. But a guy’s got to know how to move through the trenches, and when you watch Elliott you see a player with strong vision and a quick first step. He’s the kind of guy that opens up the offense, spreads the field, forces teams to chase him. Without Elliott the Cowboys wouldn’t be as dominant as they are. He’s been an indispensable part of their winning formula this year.
But here’s the thing: In the past ten years the NFL has given a running back the MVP twice–those were LaDainian Tomlinson in ’06 and Adrian Peterson in 2012. Each of those years, Tomlinson and Peterson accomplished astonishing feats. In 2006, Tomlinson rushed for 1815 yards and 28 touchdowns, setting a league record for rushing touchdowns. In 2012, Peterson ran for 2,097 yards with a 6.0 per carry average, joining the likes of Eric Dickerson and Barry Sanders. While Elliott has proven himself a reliable and explosive back, he’s still a rookie. And that fact alone might just be the deciding factor in him getting snubbed for MVP. Still it’s incredible that he’s even made the list. The guy’s a warrior, and a young one at that. Look for him to keep vying for the award throughout his career. And who knows? Maybe he’ll sneak one out and find himself holding the MVP when the season is said and done.
The crazy thing is, there are so many more names worthy of a mention in this article. Specifically David Johnson, whose had over a thousand yards rushing and receiving, and he’s seventeenth in receptions in the whole league. This year has seen some of the best player performances in a long time. And if this list is any indication, we might just be in the middle of an NFL golden age right now.
